Bifurcated surgical retractor

Abstract

A halo style surgical retractor having fixed and movable curvilinear members each of which has an outwardly directed retractor channel extending over the full length of the member. A support arm is attached to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired fixed, but adjustable position. The ends of fixed and movable members are coupled together so that, first, when the members are brought into a generally coplanar relationship, there is an uninterrupted and continuous retractor holder path around the combined length of the fixed and movable members. Second, the couplings permit the movable member to pivot to a position directly above and overlaying with the fixed retractor member, that is, a position in which the movable retractor member is in a plane directly above and generally parallel to the plane of the fixed retractor member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A surgical retractor frame for supporting a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a curvilinear fixed member having first and second ends, and   a first path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the fixed member;     a support connected to the fixed member for holding the fixed member in a desired position;   a curvilinear movable member having first and second ends, and   a second path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the movable member; and     connectors coupled between the respective first ends and the respective second ends of the movable and the fixed members for providing rotation of the movable member to a first position substantially overlapping and parallel with the fixed member.   
     
     
       2. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein each of the connectors comprises: a first clamp pivotally connected between the first ends of the fixed and movable members; and   a second clamp pivotally connected between second ends of the fixed and movable members.   
     
     
       3. The surgical retractor of claim 2 wherein the first and second clamps include first and second links, respectively, connected between the ends of the fixed and movable members. 
     
     
       4. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the first position of the movable member is in a plane substantially parallel to but offset from a plane defined by a curvilinear longitudinal centerline of the fixed member. 
     
     
       5. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the curvilinear fixed and movable members are substantially semicircular in shape. 
     
     
       6. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the first and second paths are channels in outside surfaces of the fixed and movable members, respectively. 
     
     
       7. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the connector permits motion of the movable member to a second position generally coplanar with the fixed member and providing an uninterrupted 360° path for the retractor arm holder through the first and second paths of the respective fixed and movable members. 
     
     
       8. The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the connector provides two substantially parallel axes of rotation about which the movable member can be rotated. 
     
     
       9. A surgical retractor frame for supporting a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a curvilinear fixed member having first and second ends, and   a first path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the fixed member;     a curvilinear movable member having first and second ends, and   a second path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the movable member so as to be substantially continuous with the first path;     a support connected to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired position;   at least one retractor arm holder slidably mounted in one of the first and second channels; and   connectors coupled between the respective first ends and the respective second ends of the movable and the fixed members for providing motion of the movable member to a position generally coplaner with the fixed member and providing an uninterrupted 360° path for the retractor arm holder through the first and second paths of the respective fixed and movable members.   
     
     
       10. A surgical retractor frame for supporting a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a curvilinear fixed member having first and second ends, and   a first path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the fixed member;     a curvilinear movable member having first and second ends, and   a second path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the movable member;     a support connected to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired position; and   connectors coupled between the respective first ends and the respective second ends of the movable and the fixed members for providing two substantially parallel axes of rotation about which the movable member can be rotated.   
     
     
       11. The surgical retractor of claim 10 wherein the two axes of rotation further comprise: a first axis of rotation extending generally between the first end and the second end of the fixed member; and   a second axis of rotation extending generally between the first end and the second end of the movable member.   
     
     
       12. A surgical retractor frame for supporting a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a curvilinear fixed member having first and second ends, and   a first adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the fixed member;     a curvilinear movable member having first and second ends, and   a second path adapted to receive a retractor arm holder and extending around a length of the movable member so as to be substantially continuous with the first path;     a support connected to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired position; and   clamps for coupling the first and the second ends of movable member to the first and the second ends, respectively, of the fixed member, each of the clamps including a manually operable knob mounted on an inside surface of the respective fixed and movable members for locking and unlocking the clamp and providing an uninterrupted path around the outside surface, thereby locking and releasing, respectively, the movable member with respect to the fixed member.   
     
     
       13. A surgical retractor frame for support in a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a generally semicircular fixed member having first and second ends, and   a first channel extending around a circumference of the fixed member and adapted to receive a retractor arm holder;     a generally semicircular movable member having first and second ends located proximate the first and second ends, respectively, of the fixed member, and   a second channel extending around a circumference of the movable member and adapted to receive the retractor arm holder, the fixed and movable members having a known relative position permitting the retractor arm holder to he moved continuously through the first and second channels;     a support connected to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired position;   a first pair of locking members, one member of the first pair of locking members being connected to the first end of the fixed member, and the other member of the pair of members being connected to the first end of the movable member;   two pins, each of the pins having one end rigidly connected to the one of the proximate first ends of the one of the fixed and the movable members, and   an opposite end directed inwardly toward one of the second ends of the one of the fixed and the movable members, the opposite end of the pin extending a predetermined distance beyond one of the pair of locking members;     a clamping link slidably mounted on the two pins, the clamping link having a second pair of locking members located directly opposite the first pair of locking members, the first end of the movable member being pivotable with respect to the clamping link about an axis, of rotation defined by a first pin connected to the first end of the movable member, and further, the clamping link being pivotable with respect to the fixed member about an axis of rotation defined by a second pin connected to the fixed member;   a fixed link connected to the opposite ends of the pins; and   an actuating shaft coupled to and moving with respect to the fixed link, the actuating shaft having one end rotatably connected to the clamping link, whereby moving the actuating shaft in a first direction moves the clamping link toward the first ends of the fixed and the movable members, thereby engaging the second pair locking members with the first pair of locking members and rigidly fixing the position of the first end of the movable member with respect to the first end of the fixed member, and whereby further, moving the actuating shaft in a second direction moves the clamping link away from the first ends of the fixed and the movable members, thereby disengaging the second pair of locking members from the first pair of locking members and allowing the movable member to move with respect to the fixed member.   
     
     
       14. A surgical retractor frame for supporting a retractor arm holder, the retractor frame comprising: a generally semicircular fixed member having a first end,   a second end,   a generally semicircular first channel extending around a length of the fixed member and adapted to receive a retractor arm holder,   a first element connected to the first end of the fixed member, the first element having first engagement surface directed inwardly toward the second end of the fixed member, and   a first pin having one end rigidly connected to the first end of the fixed member, and   an opposite end directed inwardly toward the second end of the fixed member, the opposite end of the first pin extending a predetermined distance beyond the first engagement surface;       a generally semicircular movable member having a first end,   a second end,   a generally semicircular second channel extending around a length of the movable member and adapted to receive the retractor arm holder, the fixed and movable members having a known relative position permitting the retractor arm holder to be moved continuously through the first and second channels,   a second element connected if proximate to the first end of the movable member, the second element having second engagement surface directed inwardly toward the second end of the movable member, and   a second pin having one end rigidly connected to the first end of the movable member, and   an opposite end directed inwardly toward the second end of the movable member, the opposite end of the second pin extending a predetermined distance beyond the second engagement surface;       a support connected to the fixed member to hold the fixed member in a desired position;   at least one retractor arm holder slidably mounted in one of the first and second channels;   a retractor blade attached to the retractor holder;   a clamping link slidably mounted on the two pins, the clamping link having third and fourth elements connected to the clamping link, the third and fourth elements having respective third and fourth engagement surfaces directed toward the respective first and second engagement surfaces whereby the first end of the movable link member pivots with respect to the clamping link about an axis of rotation defined by the second pin connected to the first end of the movable member, and whereby further, the clamping link pivots with respect to the fixed member about an axis of rotation defined by the first pin connected to the fixed member;   a fixed link connected to the opposite ends of the pins; and   an actuating shaft having one end threaded through the fixed link and rotatably coupled to the clamping link, the actuating shaft having a knob on a second end adapted to be manually twisted, whereby twisting the knob in a first angular direction moves the actuating shaft and the clamping link toward the first ends of the fixed and the movable members, thereby simultaneously meshing the third and the fourth engagement surfaces of the respective third and the fourth elements with the first and the second engagement surfaces of the respective first and the second elements, thereby clamping the position of the first end of the movable member with respect to the first end of the fixed member, and whereby further, twisting the knob in a second angular direction opposite the first angular direction moves the actuating shaft and clamping link away from the first ends of the fixed and the movable members, thereby simultaneously disengaging the third and the fourth engagement surfaces of the respective third and fourth elements from the first and the second engagement surfaces of the respective first and the second elements, thereby unclamping the movable member with respect to the fixed member.